2000
#3,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.38
Uncommon Last name
Millan
A Spanish surname referring to someone who lived near a mill or worked as a miller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,737 Americans carry the last name Millan. That puts it at #2,938 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,951 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Millan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Millan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,951
Census rank
#2,938
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,979 bearers of the surname Millan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2938th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Millan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Millan
The surname "MILLAN" has its origins in Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "muilionn," which means "mill." This suggests that the original bearers of this name were likely associated with mills or lived near mills.
In the early records, the name appears with various spellings, such as "Millan," "Milne," and "Mylne." One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where a Robert de Milne from Berwickshire swore fealty to King Edward I of England.
The surname "MILLAN" is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Millhills and Milltown. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and mills.
One notable early bearer of the name was John Millan, a Scottish theologian and philosopher born in 1579. He served as the principal of the University of Glasgow from 1637 until his death in 1657.
In the 17th century, Andrew Millan, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer, made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. He was born in 1628 and died in 1701.
Another prominent figure with the surname "MILLAN" was William Millan, a Scottish poet and playwright born in 1692. He is best known for his satirical works, which often criticized the social and political issues of his time.
During the 18th century, Alexander Millan, a Scottish soldier and military engineer, played a crucial role in the construction of fortifications in North America. He was born in 1736 and died in 1809.
In the 19th century, James Millan, a Scottish industrialist, made significant contributions to the development of the textile industry in Scotland. He was born in 1810 and died in 1885.
Throughout history, the surname "MILLAN" has been associated with various professions and areas of expertise, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its bearers. While the name originated in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Millan
Among Census respondents with the surname Millan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Millan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Millan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.5% · 10,359
- White8.9% · 1,067
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 386
- Two or more races0.7% · 87
- Black or African American0.6% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Millan
Millan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,733
+1,606 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 3.64
Rank movement Up 233 places
2020
#2,938
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,979
+1,246 bearers (+11.6%)
Per 100,000 4.01
Rank movement Up 401 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,572 | 9,127 | 3.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,339 | 10,733 | 3.64 | +1,606 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 233 places |
| 2020 | #2,938 | 11,979 | 4.01 | +1,246 bearers (+11.6%) | Up 401 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Millan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,339 | #2,938 | 12.0% |
| Count | 10,733 | 11,979 | 11.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.64 | 4.01 | 10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Millan bearers went from 10,733 to 11,979 (+11.6% change). The surname moved up 401 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,339 to #2,938.
FAQ
Millan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Millan?
Name Census estimates that about 13,737 living Americans carry the surname Millan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,951 residents.
How common is Millan?
Millan ranks #2,938 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.01 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,979 people with the surname Millan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,737), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.01 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Millan.
Has Millan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Millan went from 10,733 recorded bearers to 11,979. That is an increase of 1,246 (+11.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,339 to #2,938.
What does the Census say about the background of Millan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Millan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.5%. The next largest groups are White (8.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Millan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (10,359 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Millan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.5%), White (8.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Millan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Millan mean?
A Spanish surname referring to someone who lived near a mill or worked as a miller. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Millan (4.01 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Millan?
Find out how many people are called Millan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.